They insist they are not “anti-motorist”, but that the move is about improving public transport in the city by hitting drivers who hold up buses or leave law-abiding motorists fuming by driving past built-up traffic on rush hour roads.

The cameras, set up at key points around the city centre, will recognise number plates and a fine will be issued if you use the lanes when you aren’t allowed. DRD say people will monitor the footage and a common sense approach will be applied meaning people will not be fined for straying into the bus lane to avoid a broken down car for example.

The cost of the penalty will be £90 reduced to £45 if paid within a 14 day period and there will be a right of challenge for any driver who believes it has been incorrectly issued.

A close up of one of the new cameras being set up across Belfast city centre

DRD Director of Transport Projects, Ciaran de Burca said the move is to help the “vast majority” of road users who are law abiding. He added that they anticipate there will be between 10,000 and 15,000 fines issued in the first year and that the money from fines will be ploughed back into public transport projects.

The Department will operate six “fixed enforcement cameras” in Belfast City Centre. The sites are at Castle Street, East Bridge Street, Donegall Square East, Donegall Square South, Great Victoria Street and College Street East. The mobile camera unit will also enforce the “bus priority measures” across the greater Belfast area where there are 50km of lanes and in towns where bus lanes are in use.

During the first three weeks after the system becomes operational a driver who is detected committing an offence will receive a written warning, but offences detected after the June 21 will result in the issue of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

The lanes have been in operation since the end of 2012, but it has been the PSNI who have been enforcing the law as a criminal matter not a civil one as it will be now. It is unclear how many people have been prosecuted by the police for driving in bus lanes.

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy said the “enforcement measures are aimed squarely at the drivers who illegally use bus lanes to jump queues and cut across traffic”.

He added: “These drivers can be a hazard to themselves, other road users, cyclists and pedestrians. They can also delay the progress of passengers opting to use our sustainable public transport service.”

Over the coming weeks CCTV enforcement cameras will be positioned at six points around Belfast.

Danny Kennedy added: “Bus lanes were introduced to help manage traffic, reduce journey times and improve our public transport infrastructure.

“Supporting this I want to ensure that everyone who travels on our roads does so in a responsible and respectful way. I am confident that these new measures will help achieve this.”